Advertising device



2 SheIats-Sheet 1.

Patented Feb. 2,1897.

H. GREEN. ADVERTISING DEVICE.

A (No Model.)

(No Model.) -2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. GREEN- ADVERTISING DEVICE. No. 576,266. Patented Feb. Z, 1897.

Witnesses: Jnyen tar.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY GREEN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 576,266, dated February 2, 1897'. Application filed February 8, 1896. Serial No. 578,492. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of 0011- necticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to advertising devices; and the object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and easily discernable and readable device of this charac ter in which incandescent-electrie-light globes can be utilized for displaying various advertisements and signs without the necessity of using a number of such globes to form each letter of the advertisement or sign.

A further object of the invention is to provide an interchangeable advertising device whereby the same can be utilized to form different advertisements.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of an incandescent-electric-light globe.

adapted for use with this improved advertising device. Fig. 2 is a view thereof taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof this advertising device, showing one side and the end thereof. Fig. 4 is also a perspective View of one side and end of this advertising device, showing a different means of accomplishing the result;

and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a series of incandescent filament electric-light globes in position relatively to each other to constitute a sign.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Heretofore in the use of incandescent-electric-light globes for advertising purposes it has been the usual practice to form each letter of the advertisement by a number of globes, either colored or otherwise, so that in order to form even a comparatively short name or advertisement it has been necessary to use a large number of incandescent-light globes, which not only take up considerable space, but are quite expensive. In order, therefore, to obviate these serious disadvantages, I have provided an improved advertising device in which each incandescent-light globe will represent a letter or sign, thereby doing away with the necessity of utilizing a number of such globes to form a letter.

It will be understood that in practice any desired size of incandescent-light globes may be used, corresponding with the desired size of letter or character to be placed thereon, and that various sizes of globes maybe used for the upper and the lower case letters in the same sign, if desired.

In the preferred form thereof herein shown and described, 6 designates an incandescent electric-light globe of any suitable shape and size; but in practice I have found that the shape best adapted for the purpose is a substantially Y-shaped globe having substantially flat sides 7 and 8 and a substantially flat end 9. On each flat side 7 and 8 and end 9 a letter or other character is formed in any suitable or desired way. In one form of advertising device, in order to form these letters, a cap (designated generally by A) of any suitable material covers the end of the globe, and thereby darkens or renders opaque those parts of the globe that are not used to form the letters or characters, so that the light within the globe will illuminate those parts thereof only which form such letters or characters, and will be substantially obscured around the letters or characters. In one form of advertising device, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, this cap A,may be formed of any suitable materialsuch, for instance, as a coating of mineral or asbestos paint or varnish or other substance not affected by heat and of any desired color, but preferably black, and which coating will extend over the end of the globe any desired and suitable distance, and thereby form a non-removable cap 10. The letter or character may be represented, however, by using the material above set forth to make that part of the globe forming the letter opaque, and thus obscuring the light at the letter part thereof and permitting the same to illuminate all other parts of the globe around such letter or character.

When the letters or characters are formed on the globes according to this form of the invention and it is desired to form another advertisement, the globes can be unscrewed from their holders in the usual way and interchanged with each other or replaced by other globes having different letters or characters thereon.

According to another form of this advertising device, Fig. 4, the cap A is constructed as a removable cap 14, preferably corresponding in shape to the end of the globe, and is formed of any desired material, preferably metal, having cut or formed thereon any desired letter or letters or character and adapted to be placed over or cover the end of said globe, whereby the light will illuminate only those portions of the cap in which the letters or other characters are cut or formed. As this cap may be made of anysuitable material, as above set forth, it will be understood, therefore, that it may be constructed of any transparent material having the whole or a part of its surface opaque, except at the letter or character part thereof, or vice versa; and it will be also understood that when it is desired to have only the letter or character at the end of the globe the cap need not necessarily be provided with sides extending entirely around the globe, as it may simply cover the end of the globe, and thus be in the nature of a letter or character plate and be secured thereto by any suitable means, such as hereinafter set forth, and which means may be secured to said letter or character plate, cap, or cover in any desired way. As one means for securing this removable'cap or cover in-position, it has a suitable number of spring clamps or arms 12, preferably two, adapted to clamp the globe, and thereby hold said cap in place, although it will be understood that any suitable means might be used for this purpose. By the use of this removable cap 14 the same incandescent lights can be utilized to display a number of different advertisements by either changing the caps around or by substituting one set of caps for another set of caps having different letters formed thereon in a manner that will be obvious without further description, and as these caps can be made at a very low cost a number of caps can be supplied for this purpose.

In the use of this improved advertising device a letter or character will preferably be formed on each of the sides 7 and S of the globe and also on the end thereof, as above set forth. These letters may be the same on each globe or may be different, or the letters may only be formed on the sides or on the end; but in the preferred form thereof each globe has three different letters or characters thereon, so that when the globes are in position, side by side or in any other way, the letters on the ends of the globes may represent any desired word or character, and to a person coming in one direction the letters on the same side of all the globes may be spelled out to also represent a different word or character or the same word or character as that represented in the ends of the globes, if desired, while to a person coming in the opposite direction the letters on the opposite sides of all the globes may be spelled out to indicate a different word or character or also the same word or character, if desired.

By the use of this improved advertising device the necessity for using a large number of globes, which is not only expensive but takes up considerable space to form each letter or character, is obviated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. An incandescent-light globe having a capped or coated surface and provided with a letter or character on one or more of its sides and also on its end, whereby parts of said globe are rendered opaque by such surface.

2. An advertising device comprising an incandescent-light globe having its end provided with a capped or coated surface, thereby covering a relatively large area of said globe and rendering such end opaque, said globe also having a letter or character formed thereon by having a part of such capped or coated surface removed.

3. An advertising device consisting of a series of incandescent-light globes, each of said globes having a series of letters or characters thereon, whereby the same or a different advertisement can be read from different directions.

4. An advertising device comprising a series of removable and interchangeable incandescent electric-light globes, each of said globes having its end provided With a capped or coated surface, thereby covering a relatively large area of said globe and rendering the same opaque, each of said globes also having a letter or character formed thereon at itsend, of lesser area than the capped or coated surface, by having a part of such surface removed, and said globes being so disposed relatively to each other that the letters or characters will form a symbol, sign, word, or advertisement.

5. An incandescent-light globe having substantially flat sides and a substantially flat end and having a capped or coated surface and provided with a letter or character on each of its sides and end, whereby parts of said globe are rendered opaque by such surface.

(3. An advertising device consisting of an electric-1i ght globe and a removable cap having a letter or character cut or formed therein and fitting on and engaging the exterior surface of the globe, to thereby render opaque parts of said globe, and thus permit said letter or character to be illuminated.

7. An advertising device consisting of an electric-light globe and a removable cap having a letter or character cut or formed therein at one or more of its sides and at its end and fitting on and engaging the exterior surface of said globe, to thereby render opaque parts of said globe, and permit said letters or characters to be illuminated at such side or sides and end of the globe. V

S. An advertising device consisting of an electric-light globe and a removable cap having spring clamping-arms, and having a letter or character cut or formed thereon and adapted to be clamped on and to engage said globe, to thereby render opaque parts of said globe, and permit said letter or character to be illuminated.

9. An advertising device consisting of a series of incandescent electric filament lamps or globes'disposed in position side by side, and each of said lamps 0r globes having one or more letters thereon, whereby When assembled they Will constitute an advertisement, Word, or character.

HENRY GREEN. \Vitnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, HENRY BrssELL. 

